Don't Buy a Whole Bunch of Fresh Parsley If All You Need Is a Teaspoon

I get the advantages of cooking with fresh herbs, and if you have a recipe that calls for a teaspoon of fresh basil, a pinch of fresh parsley, and a sprig of fresh oregano, there's nothing better than snipping them from your herb garden. But if your "herb garden" is a cluster of withered plants on your fire escape, don't bother buying bunches of fresh herbs every time you cook. Instead, reach for dried herbs, which last a billion times longer than fresh—around six months, as opposed to a few days. Just use a third the amount your recipe calls for if you're swapping dried herbs for fresh. So if your recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, use 1 teaspoon of dried parsley, because 1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons. Get it? And the rule works in reverse if you have, say, a thriving basil plant that you want to utilize. Just triple the amount if your recipe calls for dried basil and you want to use fresh instead. All that said, don't swap fresh herbs for dried if the ingredient is a major player in the recipe, otherwise you risk changing the texture. If a recipe calls for

I get the advantages of cooking with fresh herbs, and if you have a recipe that calls for a teaspoon of fresh basil, a pinch of fresh parsley, and a sprig of fresh oregano, there's nothing better than snipping them from your herb garden. But if your "herb garden" is a cluster of withered plants on your fire escape, don't bother buying bunches of fresh herbs every time you cook. Instead, reach for dried herbs, which last a billion times longer than fresh—around six months, as opposed to a few days. Just use a third the amount your recipe calls for if you're swapping dried herbs for fresh. So if your recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, use 1 teaspoon of dried parsley, because 1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons. Get it?

And the rule works in reverse if you have, say, a thriving basil plant that you want to utilize. Just triple the amount if your recipe calls for dried basil and you want to use fresh instead.

All that said, don't swap fresh herbs for dried if the ingredient is a major player in the recipe, otherwise you risk changing the texture. If a recipe calls for two cups of chopped fresh basil, spring for the fresh.

Do you cook with only fresh herbs? Or do you swap in dried herbs when you don't want to splurge on fresh?